Review of The Hero's Guide To Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy

Title/Author: The Hero's Guide To Saving Your Kingdom (The League of Princes #1) by Christopher Healy
Publisher/Date published: Walden Pond Press, May 1st 2012
How I got this book: bought myself a pretty copy
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary:
Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav.

You've never heard of them, have you? These are the princes who saved Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White and Rapunzel, but you probably know them all as 'Prince Charming'. Well, all that is about to change as the hapless princes stumble upon an evil plot and get a second chance to prove themselves true heroes.

Seriously, reading this book was one of my better decisions this month! It was SO MUCH FUN!

First off, you guys should know that I love fairytales. LOVE. And I love any book that deals with them or reads like one and this novel getting deeper into the different prince charmings out there is just SO MY THING!

I don't read many funny books, and I'm not sure why not, cause this was hilarious! I laughed out loud a couple of times, which earned me weird glances from the boyfriend at times. I loved getting to know the characters flaws and all and they've all earned a special place in my heart. But to be honest, I think my favourites are Liam and Duncan. Liam is what I'd want my prince charming to be like and Duncan is just so sweet! All four of them are great characters, but these two stole my heart.

I loved that we get to see them in their full glory and get a little more of a backstory on the princes, because, let's face it, it's mostly all about the princesses in fairytales. Most of them don't even have a name in the story and that's what's adressed in The Hero's Guide To Saving Your Kingdom.

I read this in no time at all and was highly entertained the whole time. The writing if witty, funny and engaging, I really fell for these characters and was rooting for them! It's a bit of a silly romp, but sometimes you need that in your life and it made for a great read-a-thon read! I already have The Hero's Guide To Storming The Castle staring at me, so I'll be reading that soon :)

My rating: 4,5 stars

Review of Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

Title/Author: Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3) by Richelle Mead
Publisher/Date published: Razorbill, November 13th 2008
How I got this book: own it
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: It's springtime at St. Vladimir's Academy, and Rose Hathaway is this close to graduation. Since making her first Strigoi kills, Rose hasn't been feeling quite right. She's having dark thoughts, behaving erratically, and worst of all... might be seeing ghosts.

As Rose questions her sanity, new complications arise. Lissa has begun experimenting with her magic once more, their enemy Victor Dashkov might be set free, and Rose's forbidden relationship with Dimitri is starting to heat up again. But when a deadly threat no one saw coming changes their entire world, Rose must put her own life on the line - and choose between the two people she loves most.

***WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR FIRST 2 BOOKS IN THE SERIES***

So if I had read this back when I didn't worry about review piles who needed clearing, I probably would have DEVOURED these books in the space of a week. They are THAT addictive!

With every book I love Rose more. She is such a kickass character and she's what makes these books shine. I mean, sure, I am as likely to drool over Dimitri as the next girl, but Rose is who I ultimately read this series for. I love her loyalty and how she truly gives everything of herself. She's committed and I respect that.

And for those of you who have met Dimitri: do I really need to say anything other than THIS MAN!! *SWOON*

Rose and Dimitri together are just amazing and I was happy and happy and frolicking along, reading the book and then all of a sudden WHAM! BIG PLOT TWIST! And OMG, I can't believe I forgot for a minute which series I was reading and how Richelle Mead manages to pull at my heartstrings EVERY TIME! And like I said to Judith from Paper Riot THINGS NEED TO BE FIXED! I mean, seriously, I will never forgive Richelle Mead if things DON'T get fixed! Seriously!

I so need to read the next book...

My rating: 5 stars

For My Mother

Today's Mother's Day, and while I feel that you should show your mother you love her EVERY day, today is still a special day.

I love my mom and I am so thankful we have a good relationship! She's always there for me and supports me no matter what and I love that I can share my love of reading with her! She's the one who read stories to me and took me to the library when I started reading books myself. Anytime I have news, either good or bad, I just call my mom. I love our spa days together and the days when we just sit together watching TV or reading.

So mom, even though you're probably not reading this, I just want to say that I love you and that I'm so happy that you're MY mom! Happy Mother's Day!

Review of How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Strohmeyer

Title/Author: How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Strohmeyer
Publisher/Date published: Balzer & Bray, April 23rd 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: When cousins Zoe and Jess land summer internships at the Fairyland Kingdom theme park, they are sure they've hit the jackpot. With perks like hot Abercrombie - like Prince Charmings and a chance to win the coveted $25,000 Dream & Do grant, what more could a girl want?

Once Zoe arrives, however, she's assigned to serve "The Queen"-Fairyland's boss from hell. From spoon-feeding her evil lapdog caviar, to fetching midnight sleeping tonics, Zoe fears she might not have what it takes to survive the summer, much less win the money.

Soon backstabbing interns, a runaway Cinderella, and cutthroat competition make Zoe's job more like a nightmare than a fairy tale. What will happen when Zoe is forced to choose between serving The Queen and saving the prince of her dreams?

Guys, you have no idea how much I would have loved to work at an amusement park as a summer job when I was in my teens. Seriously, that would have been EPIC. Especially if you can share it with friends. So of course I jumped at the chance to read How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True!

And it was so much fun! This is why I read contemporaries every now and then! I love that they can have an extremely fun and cute storyline and mix it up with real issues. I loved that I could identify with Zoe and her love for her best friend, her cousin. I loved how she had all these memories connected to the place she was working at and how she gave everything even if she didn't really felt appreciated.

And seriously, I totally loved pretty much the whole cast of this novel! From the prince charming who is terribly afraid of horses to the Queen herself who can be put in a better mood by getting a piece of dark chocolate and having it NEVER MENTIONED that she gets this with her lunch from Zoe. LOVE.

I also really enjoyed the scenes with Zoe and the boy who turns out to be her very own prince charming after all and how she could be herself with him and even talk about her mother who passed away. Even though I did think a lot of the problems in this novel could have been sorted out easily if people just TALKED TO EACH OTHER, but yeah, that's usually the problem ;) I loved all the intrigue going on in Fairyland and the competitiveness because of the chance of winning a LOT of money. I don't want to spoil it, but I seriously laughed at the ending when all is revealed.

How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True has everything I need to put a smile on my face and I read it in no time at all! I read it during the dark hours of Dewey's read-a-thon, but I think it would be perfect to dream away with on a sunny afternoon when you have nothing going on. I'm definitely going to be reading more by Sarah Strohmeyer!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Review of The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway

Title/Author: The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway
Publisher/Date published: Dutton, April 23rd 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy it at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: “You are now a member of the Guild. There is no return.” Two hundred years after he was about to die on a Napoleonic battlefield, Nick Falcott, soldier and aristocrat, wakes up in a hospital bed in modern London. The Guild, an entity that controls time travel, showers him with life's advantages. But Nick yearns for home and for one brown-eyed girl, lost now down the centuries. Then the Guild asks him to break its own rule. It needs Nick to go back to 1815 to fight the Guild’s enemies and to find something called the Talisman.

In 1815, Julia Percy mourns the death of her beloved grandfather, an earl who could play with time. On his deathbed he whispers in her ear: “Pretend!” Pretend what? When Nick returns home as if from the dead, older than he should be and battle scarred, Julia begins to suspect that her very life depends upon the secrets Grandfather never told her. Soon enough Julia and Nick are caught up in an adventure that stretches up and down the river of time. As their knowledge of the Guild and their feelings for each other grow, the fate of the future itself is hanging in the balance.

I am a bit unsure of how I should review this book. There were some really good parts and some stuff that didn't make all that much sense to me. Let me try to explain.

I thought the writing was really good, it was engrossing and Bee Ridgway really managed to make me excited about time travel again. The only problem was that she got me all wanting to know EVERYTHING and we barely got answers. Nd while the writing was good, I did still feel like barely anything happened. The plot was SO SLOW. I was still entertained, but looking back, there were huge stretches of the novel in which nothing actually happened to propell the story onward.

I liked Nick, he's a truly good guy. I liked that he adjusted to the 21st century and how he at first had trouble accepting that he couldn't go back and then that he could in fact go back! I mean, I can totally understand the doubts and hesitation that comes with something like this! Julia was a bit too passive for me to truly connect with her. I wasn't completely sold on the romance between her and Nick either. I mean, his sorta obsession with her is based on one moment. It felt a little too much like insta-love too me and while I do think they had a connection, it wasn't enough to fully convince me.

But oh my lord, I absolutely ADORED Arkady, Nick's Russian companion! He is the most quotable of the characters and says things like "Because it's beautiful and romantic to do so" and I LOVED it! He may not always be a good guy, but he's such an interesting, passionate character that I can forgive him for this.

I think what bothered me the most is that the plot was moving along at a turtle's pace and then all of a sudden it just ended. And I just have all these questions! It doesn't say anywhere if there'll be a sequel! And I'm... confused. I hate it when endings are like that! It makes me reconsider the whole book because it leaves me with a bad feeling.

So I'm a bit unsure about The River of No Return. While it was an entertaining story, the plot dragged a bit and then the ending just threw me completely off! The whole time travel concept Bee Ridgway introduces us to is fascinating, but I still have so many unanswered questions. I really hope there'll be a sequel!

My rating: 3,5 stars

Review of The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

Title/Author: The Madman's Daughter (The Madman's Daughter #1) by Megan Shepherd
Publisher/Date published: Balzer & Bray, January 29th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy it at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: In the darkest places, even love is deadly.

Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London — working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward — both of whom she is deeply drawn to — Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius — and madness — in her own blood.

So this book has been ALL OVER the blogosphere the last couple of months and people whose taste in books I trust completely have been RAVING about it. So yes, there were all these expectations. And I have to say that most of them were met!

I've never read The Island of Dr. Moreau and so as not to accidentally read about plotlines/spoilers, I didn't google it before reading The Madman's Daughter (ok, so I know it was there first, but I wanted to experience this story just as it is). And guys, The Madman's Daughter totally makes me want to read The Island of Dr. Moreau!! I love how these retellings make me excited to read the classics!

I really liked Juliet. She's a tough sixteen-year-old and I totally respect her for learning everything she knows about anatomy, because girls were definitely not allowed to know stuff like that back then. I love that she uses this knowledge to defend herself against someone who assaults her. LOVED it. I also loved that she was a little off.

Actually, I loved that there was pretty much something off with ALL of the characters! I never knew who to trust and it was all just SO CREEPY! Oh my gosh, Megan Shepher really brought the chills and shock and sometimes openmouthed horror. And I loved it! It's slightly scary that I can understand what the doctor did on a scientific level, yet it horrifies me at the same time.

The only thing that I didn't really feel was the love triangle. I was firmly fixed on one boy, who turned out to be the right pick after all (am so not telling you who it is though ;) ) and I LOVED the moments between Juliet and this boy.

I was so swept away by the storytelling! I was constantly at the edge of my seat wanting to find out what happens next! And seriously, the ending near broke my heart!! I cannot wait to find out what happens in the sequel, because OMG, how are they all ever going to recover from this??

My rating: 4,5 stars

Daisy Update (40)

Hi guys!!

It's the end of a beautiful sunny Sunday and I'm just now finding the will to sit behind my computer instead of on our balcony just reading the day away.

As I mentioned in my last Daisy Update, I had a whole glorious week off starting April 20th and it was in fact glorious! I did virtually nothing except be at home with the boyfriend, watch Pretty Little Liars, read and eat. And I loved every minute of it! We had originally planned to go abroad, but because of the boyfriend's job interview we stayed at home and honestly, it's probably brought me more relaxation than going on a city trip and running around trying to see everything before going home again. I love going on vacation, but I love spending time at home as well. It seems that I'm rarely home these days and it's nice to be able to just relax for a bit.

On Tuesday some of my friends came over for dinner, which is kinda perfect because I love cooking for other people when I have the time! We had a great time catching up, we're all doctors and it's rare for our schedules to line up enough that we can actually get together, so this was pretty great!

On Wednesday my brand new Sony ereader got delivered!! And oh my gosh, I love it so much! I'm still feeling guilty towards my old ereader and haven't been able to bring myself to move it from its regular spot on the back of the couch... But my new one is so much faster and it has a touch screen and is all kinds of shiny and yeah, I kinda just adore it.

Thursday the boyfriend and I went to the zoo and apparantly we'd chosen a day when a LOT of schools were planning a field trip there as well, so there were a lot of kids running around, screaming. I like kids, there were just a lot of them... We had fun looking at all the animals and a giraffe actually came close enough that I could have touched its head if I hadn't been such a chicken! We had a lovely day together :)

Friday we went shopping and I bought a dress that I'm not sure when I'll be able to wear it, as it is a bit on the fancy side, but I loved it so much that I just had to get it! Maybe I can wear it while applying for a job or something... Oh, and SHOES! I bought two pairs of shoes :) It was actually kinda funny because the sales lady was asking me if I'd decided which pair I wanted and looked really surprised when I said both.

Saturday I participated in Dewey's 24-hour Read-a-Thon and it was AWESOME! Sunday was pretty much just spent having a read-a-thon hangover and watching TV with the boyfriend.

Last week I was again working on one of the wards and I just loved it! I love getting to know the patients and working with one of my fellow residents and the nurses and just feeling part of a team. Tuesday was a national holiday here, Queen's Day, and I was the lucky one who got to work the day and evening shift. It was actually a pretty big deal this year as our queen has abdicated in favor of her eldest son, who is know our new king. I saw the most important parts of the events, work wasn't too bad, only one patient came into the ER, the patients already admitted needed some looking after though, so I was busy till it was dinner time.

And you've already heard about all my excitement over getting accepted for the residency as a GP! I'm so happy! I couldn't focus on anything on Thursday night after I got the letter and gah, I still can't believe it! I was so nervous and have been stressed for two weeks waiting for the letter and now it's here and I'm just YAY!! So I bought myself books. Naturally. I don't start till March 2014, so I'll probably need to look for another job to tie me over till then, but at least I know I'm going to get into the specialty I want and that's pretty much all that matters. The boyfriend and I went out to dinner to celebrate Friday night :) Thanks to all of your for the well-wishes, I love you guys!

Yesterday it was my cousin's first birthday party and I got her an adorable little dress and a legging with pink bows on it. I doubt they'll stay white for long, but at least it looks cute. Then last night we went out to have a drink with some of the boyfriend's friends and had a really good time. Today I've just been avoiding the house and have been hanging out on our balcony, reading, it was lovely!

I hope you all had a great week as well!